Optical testing of samples has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the speed, accuracy, and efficiency with which test results can be acquired through optical testing. Because of these benefits, optical testing is commonly used in medical applications such as glucose testing. Generally, optical testing in medical applications involves passing light through a sample. In some applications, the sample may be combined with a reagent for testing. Upon passing through the sample or the combined sample and reagent, the test light is altered based on the qualities of the sample or sample/reagent combination. The light which passes through the sample comprises a detection beam which is input into a detector for analysis. Optical testing may employ “formats,” objects upon which a sample may be collected and which allow for easy transport and testing of a sample.
Several problems arise in optical testing applications. One common problem is the contamination of equipment optics when a sample is input for analysis. Such contamination may require error detection for contaminated optics and/or major cleaning procedures for the user, and further results in overall contamination of an analysis instrument. Such contamination may result, for example, from a close proximity of a light source or light detector to the sample application area of a format. Further, in applications using optical formats (i.e., testing formats with optical components through which light travels), the variation of the length of the path through which light travels can lead to variable testing accuracy. Optical formats often incorporate lids that are within the light path, which can add to the variability of light path length. Additionally, when testing particularly small sample volumes, it is desirable to use a short path length and further to eliminate the need for any path length variation technique in the testing instrument. Other problems that arise in the use of formats for optical testing include the need for optimization of reagent deposition into the format and the need for a separate format and a device, such as a needle or lancet, for placing a sample into the format.
In order to increase the efficiency and accuracy of optical sample testing, it is desirable to reduce or eliminate these known problems.